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08/12/2010

Sharp Reduction in Employment of Post Probationary Teachers

New statistics released by the General Teaching Council for Scotland (GTCS) (see table) indicate a further reduction in the numbers of post-probationary teachers gaining permanent jobs in Scotland.

More specifically, the percentage of probationary staff who have obtained full time permanent posts has now fallen to just 16.1 per cent - a record low and it means that fewer than 1 in 6 new teachers get a full time permanent job. Also over a quarter of probationary teachers now have no teaching job at all.

These figures come only a week after the number of employed teachers in Scotland fell by another 800 – down by over 3000 since the SNP came to power - and the pupil teacher ratio rose again to 1 teacher to 13.3 pupils.

These figures demonstrate the damage being done to Scottish education and the careers of newly qualified teachers by the SNP's mismanagement of Scottish education. Highly trained and well-qualified teachers are being treated as a casualised workforce, obliged to look for work on a weekly or daily basis. Because the SNP has broken their promises on teacher numbers and class sizes, very few newly qualified teachers are obtaining permanent or even temporary employment.

Welcome

Welcome to my Blog. I hope this provides a helpful record of my work on behalf of constituents in Broughty Ferry and my role as Labour Spokesperson on Education throughout the city during my two terms on the Council: 5 May 2007 - 4 May 2017.